The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-08

Madam" said the officer, ''promise
me that you'll visit my regiment to-
morrow; 'twould be worth a victory
to them. You don't know what good
a woman's visit to the army does.
These men whom you have seen to-
day will talk of your visit for six months
TO come. Around the fires, in the
rifie-pits, in the dark night, or on the
march, they will repeat your words,
describe your looks, voice, size, and
dress; and all agree in one respect
that you look like an angel, and exactly
like each mans wife or MOTHER All!
was there no work for women to do?
The Sanitary and Christian Commits
sions expended about $50 900 900 dur
ing the war and of this the women
raised a generous portion. Each battle
cost the Sanitary Commission about
$4,000, and the battle of Gettysburg a
half million dollars. Mrs. Livermore
was one of the most efficient helpers in
raising this money. She went among
the people, and solicited funds and sup
plies of every kind. One night, it was
arranged that she should speak in Du-
buque, Ia, that the people of that State
might hear directly from their soldiers
at the front. When she arrived, in
stead of finding few women as she
had expected, large church was packed
with both men and women eager to
listen. The Governor of the State and
other officials were present. She had
never spoken in a mixed assembly.
Her conservative training made her
shrink from it, and, unfortunately,
made her feel incapable of doing it.
II cannot speak ~ she said to the
women who had asked her to come.
| Disappointed and disheartened, they
finally arranged with prominent states
man to jot down the facts from her lips,
and then, as best he could, tell to the
audience the experiences of the woman
who had been on the battle fields, amid
the wounded and dying. Just as they
were about to go upon the platform,
the gentleman said:
Mrs. Livermore, have heard YOU
say at the front that you would give all
for the soldiers,-a foot, a hand, or
voice. Now is the time to give your
voice, if you wish to do good"
She meditated moment; and then
she said, II will try"
When she arose to speak, the sea of
faces before her seemed blurred. She
was talking into blank darkness. She
could not even hear her own voice.
But as she went on, and the needs of
the soldiers crowded upon her mind,
she forgot all fear, and for two hours
held the audience spell bound. Men
and women wept, and patriotism filled
every heart. At eleven O'Clock, SIS, 900
was pledged (; and then, at the sugges-
ton of the presiding officer, they re-
manned until one o'clock to perfect
plans for fair, from which they cleared
$50, 600. After this, Mrs. Livermore
spoke in hundreds of towns, helping to
organize many of the more than twelve
thousand five hundred aid societies
formed during eighteen months.
AS money became more and more
needed, Mrs. Livermore decided to try
Sanitary Commission Fair in Chicago.
The women said, 1--WE will raise $685.
000;" but the men laughed at such an
impossibility. The farmers were Wis
tied and solicited to give vegetables and
grain, while the cities were not forgot
ten. Fourteen Of Chicago's largest
halls were hired. The women had
gone into debt 900, and the men of
the city began to think they were crazy.
The Board of Trade called upon them,
and advised that the fair be given up;
the debt should be paid, and the men
would give the $4,000 when, in their
Judgment, it was needed The women
thanked them courteously, but pushed
forward in the work.
1t had been arranged that the farm
ers should come on the opening day in
a procession, with their gifts of vegeta-
bles. Of this plan, the newspapers
made great sport, calling it the ''potato
procession. " The day came. The
school children had holiday, the bells
were rung, one hundred guns were
fired, and the whole city gathered to
see the potato procession" Finally,
it arrived, great loads of cabbages,
onions, and over four thousand bushels
of potatoes. The wagons each bore
motto draped in black, with the words,
1--WE buried son at Donelson ~ sour
father lies at Stone River |" and other
similar ones. The flags on the horses
heads were bound with black. The
women who rode beside husband or
son were dressed in deep mourning.
When the procession stopped before
Mrs. Livermore's house, the jeers were
over and the dense crowd wept like
children.
Six of the public halls were filed
with beautiful things for sale; while
eight were closed, so that no other at
traction might compete with the fair.
Tnataad Of COX 000 tho uuOroan o1aarad